Exodus — Chapter 31

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1Then the LORD said to Moses,

2“See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

3And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship,

4to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze,

5to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft.

6Moreover, I have selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, as his assistant. I have also given skill to all the craftsmen, that they may fashion all that I have commanded you:

7the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—

8the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense,

9the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand—

10as well as the woven garments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests,

11in addition to the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”

12And the LORD said to Moses,

13“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

14Keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Anyone who profanes it must surely be put to death. Whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from among his people.

15For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

16The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a permanent covenant for the generations to come.

17It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

18When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

5And in cutting of stones, to set

6And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

7The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that

8And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

9And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

10And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,

11And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy

12And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I

14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it

15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth

16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations,

17It

18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

3and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

4to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

5and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship.

6And I, behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee:

7the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy-seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the Tent,

8and the table and its vessels, and the pure candlestick with all its vessels, and the altar of incense,

9and the altar of burnt-offering with all its vessels, and the laver and its base,

10and the finely wrought garments, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest`s office,

11and the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

12And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.

14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that profaneth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work on the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

1The Lord spoke to Moses,

2“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

3and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in skill, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,

4to make artistic designs for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze,

5and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

6Moreover, I have also given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given ability to all the specially skilled, that they may make everything I have commanded you:

7the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the atonement lid that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent,

8the table with its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense,

9the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils, the large basin with its base,

10the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests,

11the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the Holy Place. They will make all these things just as I have commanded you.”

12The Lord said to Moses,

13“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

14So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it must surely be put to death; indeed, if anyone does any work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his people.

15Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

16The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.

17It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

3and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship,

4to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

5and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of workmanship.

6Behold, I myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

7the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on it, all the furniture of the Tent,

8the table and its vessels, the pure lamp stand with all its vessels, the altar of incense,

9the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, the basin and its base,

10the finely worked garments—the holy garments for Aaron the priest—the garments of his sons to minister in the priest’s office,

11the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”

12Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

13“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Most certainly you shall keep my Sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.

14You shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

16Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.’”

18He gave to Moses, when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with God’s finger.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

God appoints Bezalel and Oholiab, filling them with His Spirit and skill to craft all the furnishings of the Tabernacle and the priestly garments (vv. 1-11). He then reaffirms the command to keep the Sabbath as a perpetual sign of the covenant between Him and Israel, warning that anyone who profanes it is to be cut off from the people (vv. 12-17). The chapter closes with God giving Moses the two stone tablets of the covenant law, written by God's own hand (v. 18).

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses (see Chapter 1 notes for full authorship details).
Classification: Law and Narrative — Tabernacle Construction
Key Themes: The first man in Scripture said to be filled with the Spirit, and filled for craftsmanship rather than prophecy, the Sabbath set as a limit on even holy work, and tablets written with the finger of God
Historical Context: Exodus 31 concludes the section of divine instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai (chapters 25-31). After six chapters of detailed blueprints for the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priesthood, God now reveals who will build it all. The chapter divides into two major sections: the appointment of Spirit-filled craftsmen (vv.1-11) and the reiteration of the Sabbath command (vv.12-17), followed by the giving of the stone tablets (v.18). The appointment of Bezalel and Oholiab demonstrates that God not only designs the work but also equips the workers. Bezalel is the first person in Scripture explicitly said to be "filled with the Spirit of God" — and the filling is for artistic craftsmanship, not prophecy or leadership. This establishes that all legitimate vocations can be Spirit-empowered callings. The Sabbath command, placed here between the tabernacle instructions and the tabernacle construction, serves as a theological guardrail: even the holy work of building God's dwelling must not override the holy rest God commands. The chapter closes with the dramatic image of God handing Moses two stone tablets "written with the finger of God" — a moment of completion that immediately precedes the catastrophe of chapter 32.
Bezalel and Oholiab Appointed (vv.1-11): After six chapters of blueprints, God names the builders. Bezalel is the first person in Scripture explicitly said to be filled with the Spirit of God, and the filling is for cutting stones, working gold and carving timber — not for prophecy or leadership. That the Spirit's first named work is craftsmanship establishes something about ordinary vocations that the rest of Scripture assumes. Oholiab is given as his partner, and wisdom is put into the hearts of all the skilled workers.
The Sabbath Reiterated (vv.12-17): The Sabbath command is placed deliberately between the instructions and the construction, and it functions as a limit: even building God's dwelling does not override God's rest. It is called a sign between God and Israel throughout their generations, and the penalty attached is severe. Verse 17's reason reaches back to creation — in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh he rested and was refreshed.
The Two Tablets of Stone (v.18): One verse ends the section that began at chapter 25: God gives Moses two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. It is a moment of completion, and the placement is devastating in hindsight. While this is being handed over on the mountain, chapter 32 is already happening at its foot.

Map & Geography

  • Israel remains encamped at Mount Sinai. God appoints Bezalel and Oholiab and gives the Sabbath sign. Moses receives the two stone tablets at the summit.

Places on this map

  • Mount SinaiJebel Musa, Sinai Peninsula, EgyptTraditionally Jebel Musa in the granite mountains of the southern Sinai peninsula, about 7,500 feet high. The identification dates from Christian monastic tradition rather than from the text, and other candidates have been proposed, but this has been the pilgrimage site since the fourth century. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that Bezalel's Spirit-filling for craftsmanship shows God values artistic work as sacred calling. He notes the Sabbath's placement here as a reminder that no work — even God's work — supersedes rest.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Exodus 31 Summary: A Concise Overview in 5 Minutes
2BeLikeChrist

Exodus 30-31 - I AM Your Work and Rest
David Guzik

Exodus 30-31 | Final Tabernacle Instructions | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

  • BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: the shape of the rescue from Egypt and where the story is going.
  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Exodus -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Spirit-Filled for Craftsmanship (v.3) — Bezalel is the first person in Scripture explicitly filled with God's Spirit, and it was for skilled construction work, not prophecy or leadership. Do you see your everyday work as a place the Spirit can fill and use?
  • Gifted for God's Purposes (v.6) — God placed wisdom in the hearts of skilled workers so they could carry out what He had commanded. What abilities has God given you, and are you offering them back to Him?
  • Rest Commanded in the Middle of Holy Work (vv.12-17) — The Sabbath command interrupts the tabernacle instructions right before construction begins, showing that even sacred labor must yield to God-given rest. Are you tempted to skip rest because the work in front of you feels too important to pause?
  • A Sign That Points Beyond Itself (v.13) — The Sabbath was given as a sign between God and His people, not merely a rule to follow. What does your own rest point to about who you trust to sustain you?
  • Written by the Finger of God (v.18) — The stone tablets came directly from God's own hand, underscoring how personally He communicates His word. How does knowing Scripture originates directly from God shape the weight you give it?